Silver
dirham of
Saladin

Ayyubid dynasty, AH 580 / AD
1184-85Struck in Aleppo (Halab),
Syria

Salah al-Din Yusuf, popularly known as Saladin
(1138-1193) is best known for his success in the wars of the
Crusades. As the commander of an Egyptian force, he proved an
outstanding military genius and was celebrated for his chivalry. He
managed to retake Jerusalem from European control in 1187, and
famously spared the inhabitants of the city and massively reduced
the Crusader presence in the
region.

Saladin was also
the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, which at different times ruled
large parts of the Near East and Yemen from 1169 until the end of
the fifteenth century. The Ayyubids put an end to Fatimid rule in
Egypt, replacing Isma'ili Shi'ism which had
predominated for two centuries with the Sunni orthodoxy. With it
came a strong educational policy and the introduction of the
religious colleges or
madrasas. Examples of
these monuments can still be seen all over the
region.

Saladin and his
successors struck coins in gold, silver and copper in a variety of
styles. The silver
dirham shown here has an
attractive six-pointed star design which is characteristic of coins
struck in Aleppo, in Syria.

P. Balog, The coinage of the Ayyubids (London, Royal Numismatic Society, 1980)